Niall Horan Imagines

Defending Him

Niall’s fingers were intertwined with yours, your hands swinging together as you walked along the sidewalk. He smiled at every person he passed, and was polite with the few fans that he ran into. You were enjoying a nice day out, exploring the town, when a particularly sour group of young girls seemed to spoil it all.

Niall squeezed your hand and you glanced over at him to see him gently smiling at you. You grinned in return and he winked at you before turning his attention back to the sidewalk in front of him. You came to a sudden stop, though, when Niall did. He firmly planted his feet to the ground, just pausing still in his spot. Your eyebrows furrowed with confusion, noting the blank expression on his face as he stared straight ahead. “Niall?” You squeaked, “Are you okay?”

He inhaled a shaky breath and his eyes met with yours for a moment, seeming to say it all. You could see the hurt in his eyes. Curiously, you peered around him to see about four girls gathered together and either smirking or giggling at you and Niall. They leaned in and immaturely whispered things to each other, obviously talking about one of you. They all looked at you at the same time before whispering more to each other.

“I’ve seen him before,” One of the girls said, “He’s always been that ugly.” A few laughs erupted from the group before the same girl added, “And his girlfriend isn’t any better.” Again, all eyes turned to you. Niall was still stiff in his spot. He wasn’t used to this. The times that he had dealt with hate were usually times when you were concealed behind the walls of your own house, where he felt free to express his emotions. Out here in public, where he knew everyone was watching, he felt pressured to keep his emotions hidden. He was the sensitive type. Niall, just like anyone else, had insecurities. It didn’t take much at all to trigger them. You knew he was hurt, especially because positive comments seemed to come to him more than any negative ones. He had found himself stuck in a horrible position because he knew that it would be awful and unprofessional for him to react to this in public. But just because Niall had to watch himself didn’t mean you needed to do the same. Where Niall had restrictions, you didn’t.

“Excuse me,” You said to them, in the politest voice you could manage. Your hand slid from Niall’s and you walked around him so that you were in clear view. “Were you saying something? I don’t think I heard you quite right.”

Niall’s head rolled back and he clenched his eyes shut. He turned slightly—just enough to get your attention. His hand nudged yours and he whispered, “C’mon, sweetheart, we don’t need to start anything here.”

You shook your head and sarcastically said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “No, those girls have something to say. I’m sure they can say it again to my face, right?” You stared directly at them. You weren’t a very intimidating person, but when it came to protecting Niall, you could be as intimidating as you wanted to be.

Niall knew what you were doing. Everyone did. You weren’t about to let these girls get away with this. You were prepared to settle the issue right there on the street. Besides, you were getting a little rush out of it. You raised your eyebrows, still waiting for a response.

“Your boyfriend tries too hard. And it’s sad because even after all of that, he’s still ugly,” The girl finally decided to speak up. Apparently, she was the only one with a voice. The whole thing disgusted you, but it was the next part, in particular, that really set you off.  Niall’s back was facing her, but she looked directly at him and said, in a venomous voice, “Just stop trying, Niall. You can’t do anything to help yourself. Being attractive is just one of those things you have to be born with.” The girls that surrounded her covered their mouths as if they, too, were a bit shocked by her insults.

Niall pressed his lips together. He was amazing. Even when insults were being thrown directly at him, he was strong enough to ignore them. Or at least attempt to ignore them. He could stay silent all he wanted, but you knew he was crushed inside. And that was what motivated you to stand up for him. Though he wouldn’t show it on the outside, stuff like this would take a toll on his self-confidence. It took him so long to build up the confidence that he had now; you didn’t want these girls to ruin that.

“Maybe you should stop trying, then,” You said to her. An evil chuckle left your lips as you added, “Because you certainly weren’t born with it, honey.” More gasps erupted from the crowd, and even a few giggles. A cocky grin spread across your features.

Some people had stopped to watch the scene unfold. This only made Niall more uncomfortable. The last thing he wanted was for more attention to be drawn to the situation than what was already there. Your eyes scanned across the crowd before turning back toward the girl and steadily telling her, “My Niall is the most precious person you’ll find on this planet. Not only is he adorable, but he’s got the sweetest personality. Something you obviously don’t know much about. He’s uplifting. He’s there when no one else is. He can put a smile on anyone’s face. He’s changed my life and the lives of his thousands of fans. So, next time, I think you should shut up and keep your invalid opinions to yourself.”

You clicked your tongue and ran your tongue across your lips. There was silence, and you knew your job was done. You grabbed Niall’s hand and smiled at the girl, one last touch, before spinning around and continuing on your walk down the sidewalk, swinging your hand with Niall’s like nothing had even happened. About halfway down the street, where you were still in sight, you stopped and leaned on the tips of your toes to peck the side of Niall’s face. “I love you,” You said.

A smile, which soon converted to a smirk, spread across Niall’s features. He glanced down at you and said with a chuckle, “Mm, I love you, too.”

**I literally get all defensive over Niall when people start talking crap about him. It’s one of those things that I cannot stand. Don’t mess with my precious angel baby.**